Planning Commission- Falling in Line

industries like coal, steel and cement. This, it might appear, was the natural thing to do in the light of the 'surpluses ' of these products that have emerged recently. It is, however, the consistently low levels of investment extending over more than the last 10 years which are responsible for even relatively small increases in the production of coal, steel, cement and other items immediately coming up against the problem of lack of demand. The whole exercise of giving final shape to the Fifth Plan would have made more sense if, instead of chopping and changing production targets in line with the current state of demand, the Planning Commission had addressed itself to the problem of breaking out of the low-investment/Iack-of-demand/low- growth circle.